


Balcony Romancing

by Eiryia



Category: Winner (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-22
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:15:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25449709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eiryia/pseuds/Eiryia
Summary: Mino moves into an apartment building just when the coronavirus lockdown starts. From his balcony, he develops a small crush on his neighbor, a doctor who lives alone and comes home from being a frontliner fighting the virus.Story based on a prompt submitted to the 2020 Winner FicFest.
Relationships: Kang Seungyoon/Song Minho | Mino
Comments: 6
Kudos: 21
Collections: WINNER Spring/Summer Fic Fest 2020





	Balcony Romancing

**Balcony Romancing**

a Minyoon story

Things had been working out for Mino lately. Lately, but not now. 

Not anymore. 

In the last six months Mino had landed his dream job, started working, bought his first apartment thanks to getting a small mortgage based on his new, much higher income and settled in nicely. The apartment was perfect, small maybe, but charming, in an old, but well kept building. The ceilings were high, the walls white and the windows huge. Leading out from his living room was a small balcony with evening sun and a great view of the vast city before him. 

For his balcony he’d bought a couple of chairs and a small table along with some simple potted flowers the florist had promised would keep themselves alive all summer with minimum care. He wasn't so sure about that, but he was doing his best to keep them alive and so far they were looking okay, but could be better. 

Standing on his balcony, second week of almost complete isolation due to covid-19 lockdown, he wished he could ask someone for advice for his flowers. Nothing else needed to die in their city now. Not even his tiny green friends. 

Letting out a small sigh he slumped down on his wooden balcony chair, the sun was setting behind the city, a low chatter could be heard around him and it was a big part of the reason for why he sat out there: human contact, to hear people, laughter and life. 

It was just as he closed his eyes that he heard the porch door of his next door neighbor open. He’d run into the guy a couple of times now. Skinny fellow, amber eyes in the sunshine, beautiful black hair, a wide smile that could melt anyone's heart… He was smitten. Just a little bit. A tiny, tiny bit smitten. 

Seungyoon sat down on his porch, let himself sink deep into his chair and closed his eyes. Mino couldn’t help but to watch, it was another reason for why he sat out there on his porch in the evenings, because that was when Seungyoon would come out on his porch. 

He was aware of his slightly stalkerish tendencies, but hey, it was his porch and he could sit out there if he wanted, to watch the sunset like the rest of his neighbors. Only that he was now enjoying how it created a soft glow on Seungyoon’s skin. 

Mino couldn’t help but notice that Seungyoon looked even more ruffled and tired than usual, but no wonder, as he was a doctor at a major hospital not far from their building. 

Deciding he couldn’t keep looking anymore, he turned towards the skyline. He had work deadlines he should be working on, but instead he was wrecking his brain trying to think of something he could do for his neighbor. He always made sure to join the clapping on the balconies for healthcare workers, but he always felt silly doing it. There he was, reasonably safe, working from home in good health. While there was the now sleeping Seungyoon, so exhausted he looked half dead in the shade that reached out for them now that the sun was setting. He wanted to step in between the shadows and help, somehow. 

He couldn’t cook, or do anything else practical. However, tomorrow was Takeaway Friday. Since lockdown he had been cooking his own food, which frankly was pretty nasty, but since local restaurants still did takeaway deliveries he had begun ordering them twice a week on Mondays and Fridays. It gave him something to look forward to and he hoped it would keep his favorite restaurants around for when this lockdown period was over. 

It was settled, tomorrow he would order two meals and hand one over to Seungyoon. Maybe they’d even exchange a few words. 

That’d be nice. 

He sat there for another hour in the shade simply because Seungyoon was still out and because it was still warm outside despite being so late. 

  
  


It was almost midnight now, Seungyoon was still sleeping on his porch. Mino figured Seungyoon probably shouldn’t do that all night. So, he decided he should wake him. 

Getting to his feet he wondered what to do. First he tried speaking, then a loud cough, but nothing worked. He then got an idea, in his bedroom he found his floor mop, wrapped the end with a glove he sanitized and went out onto his porch again ready to poke the sleeping beauty. 

But he was gone! 

Startled, he looked around, even over the edge out of sheer panic. 

"Did you drop something?" Seungyoon was looking over at him in a sleepy daze. 

Getting startled yet again, he turned around waving the mop dangerously around him as he turned. 

"You!" he replied.

"Me?" Seungyoon replied and looked over the banister as well. 

This made Mino laugh, which in turn made Seungyoon laugh. Now they were looking at each other humming through the confusion. 

"I was going to wake you," he finally explained, waving the mop a bit again. 

"A wet mop would do the trick," Seungyoon said, still smiling.

He turned the mop to reveal the gloved end causing Seungyoon to laugh even more. 

"A creepy grabbing hand would do the trick too, and give me nightmares" he added, eyeing the wobbly gloved fingers. 

The darkness had overtaken the street now and only the soft glow of neighboring apartments and the streetlights below kept the space they shared illuminated. 

"Anyway, thank you and good night" Seungyoon finally said when calm had returned between them and they were both just staring silently at the other. 

"Good night" he murmured watching Seungyoon do a short wave at him before slipping back into his apartment. 

He found himself standing around for a little while, smiling quietly. It was the first time in a long while that he’d smiled like that. It made the moment feel more special and he knew he would savor it in his mind for a long time, maybe even forever. 

  
  


The next day he’d gone on with his day with renewed vigor despite sitting up even later than usual to reach his deadline on time. Now he was already working on something new, but his mind kept bouncing to his takeaway plan. What should he order? What kind of food did Seungyoon like? He should get something that would taste fine when reheated in case Seungyoon wasn’t home yet. 

Mino hoped he would be home, he even considered waiting around a bit to hear if he could notice him arriving and then make his order. But he was already starving and it was only 2 in the afternoon. 

He’d wait a while, maybe have a few crackers so he could wait longer. And some iced coffee because he was so so sleepy. 

  
  


Come dinner time and he heard no sign of Seungyoon. He showered, cleaned his apartment, read a book, did laundry, read some more. Changed his bed sheets, watered his porch potted plants while arching his neck in both directions to see if he could spot Seungyoon down the road, but he didn’t. 

It was a lovely early summer afternoon, a light breeze was flowing in through the porch doors, lulling him off to sleep together with his way too boring book. 

He’d just nodded off properly when the bang of the door from one of his neighbors startled him. Sitting up, he strained his ears, yup, Seungyoon was home. 

Hm, Pizza? Pasta? (soso?) he couldn’t decide. Pacing around, he was stressing out over a pretty simple decision. Chinese would be good too, or...? 

He heard the neighboring porch door open and knew instantly who it was. Poking his head out he saw Seungyoon leaning on the banister catching the last rays of sunlight before the skyline swallowed up the sun for the night to take over. 

"What would you pick?" he called out, almost falling over from leaning out the door. 

He gave Seungyoon his favorite options and he seemed to take the issue quite seriously. 

"Pizza would be nice" he finally said, nodding. 

"Pizza it is then" Mino replied nodding back, which caused his chair to finally flip over leaving him scrambling on the floor. 

"Quarantine life getting to you eh" Seungyoon said laughing and shaking his head before turning to walk back into his apartment. 

"Something like that" Mino murmured, stretching out on the spot to take in the last rays of sunlight as well. Pretending for a second he was a cat who had just received a particularly good ear scratch. 

  
  
  


Mino didn’t lay around in the sun for long, because he feared Seungyoon might fall asleep early again, so he went ahead and ordered two pizzas. 

He stress ate crackers while waiting for the pizza to arrive, trying to think of what to tell Seungyoon before knocking on his door. 

No clever words had been thought of however and now he was knocking on the door hoping he wouldn’t sound like a complete idiot. 

"Yes?" Seungyoon said, opening the door quite a long while later. Only wearing a towel. Startled by the sudden nudeness he couldn’t think of a word to say, instead his eyes wandered and his cheeks started getting heated. 

"Uhm. You said pizza would be nice so I figured I’d order one for you too" he finally stuttered still looking at the damp pale skin of the well defined chest in front of him. 

"Oh, thank you. Best put the plastic bag with it on the ground. I’m in quarantine" Seungyoon sighed. 

Thoroughly shaken by this news he looked at Seungyoon. 

"Are you sick, do you need a doctor?" he asked without thinking much about what he was saying. 

"I got a sniffle so I got tested, and I am a doctor so no, I don’t need one" Seungyoon replied smiling while picking up the pizza. 

"Right, right. Let me know if there is anything you need" he said after a long stretch of silence. He was already worried, but hated to admit it. 

"Some company would be nice" Seungyoon said, nodding towards their pizzas. "Social distancing pizza eating on our porches?" he added before Mino could get any other ideas. 

"Deal" he replied smiling before rushing back into his apartment. 

  
  


As soon as he got inside, he began scrambling to find everything for his shared meal. At first he’d picked out two of everything before realizing there was no point in that. He’d pulled a tablecloth from the cupboard, the only one he owned and gone outside to lay it out before fetching the rest. 

When he got out there, Seungyoon was already sitting down nibbling at his pizza. 

"It’s good," he said in a soft voice with his eyes half closed. 

Nodding agreeingly he backed slowly into his apartment, struggling to pull himself away from the view of his smiling neighbor. 

Hurrying he fetched his ice cold soda can from the fridge and his pizza along with some cutlery although he never used such things on pizza before. This was a date however and he wanted to make a good impression. 

Sitting down, the word date rang in his mind as if some huge gong had been struck in there sending vibrations all the way into his soul. 

He’d forgotten about his cutlery as soon as he had sat down, instead he was gnawing hungrily, yet quite absentmindedly at his food while looking at Seungyoon. He looked pale and sleepy, almost blurry in an odd way which he couldn’t explain, as if something was pulling at the very fabric of his existence. The frailty of the man before him was striking and he was constantly fighting an urge to jump over there and hug him back together. 

"How are you feeling?" he asked without thinking. 

"Not so good honestly, really tired, my head is pounding" Seungyoon replied, closing his eyes and scrunching his nose as he said it. Mino thought it was as if Seungyoon was attempting to force the headache out with his face muscles alone.

"I’m sorry, do you need medicine? I’ve got a few of the most ordinary stuff" he offered before opening his soda can. It felt cold to the touch and damp from condensation. 

"That's okay, I took some already. I’d love one of those if you got any extra though" Seungyoon said perking up a little at the sound of his soda can. 

Nodding to confirm that he indeed got more he hurried back inside. He came back with options, holding them up one by one like some kid holding up his miniature trophies. 

Seungyoon had made his pick and since they were hesitant to throw them he had fetched a broom and a plastic bag along with some sanitizer spray. Gingerly he sprayed them, put them in the bag before dangling them over the edge supported by the thin wood of the broom handle. 

"Thank you, probably no need to sanitize though, I’m already sick remember?" Seungyoon said, smiling weakly while holding up his soda. Mino shook his head in slight disbelief at his own absentmindedness in response before holding up his own soda in a proper social distancing toast to them both. It didn’t hurt to be careful though, didn’t Seungyoon say his test hadn’t come back yet? 

They kept chatting until dark, pizza long since consumed. Seungyoon told him about work, how they were understaffed and lacking equipment and about his worries for patients and staff alike. 

Mino concluded that his loneliness staying at home was nothing compared to what Seungyoon was experiencing and he felt a bit pathetic for having felt sorry for himself these last few weeks. 

"Have you been coping fine?" Seungyoon asked after a bit of a break. 

"I’ve been okay, but I have to confess that I’ve had my moments. I just moved to the city so it’s a lot to get used to" he admitted looking away for the first time. 

"I can imagine. That’s tough, but this won’t last forever. Hang in there" Seungyoon said while pulling his shirt and cardigan closer around him. 

Feeling worried again he began urging Seungyoon to go back inside so his cold wouldn’t get any worse. He noticed how Seungyoon seemed hesitant, but he boldly reassured him he wouldn’t be going anywhere which had made him smile. 

Going back inside as well he was analyzing and over analyzing everything he’d said feeling like a bit of an idiot. Maybe Seungyoon had just wanted to sit out longer in the summer night, completely unrelated to himself. 

"Bold of me to assume that" he muttered to himself putting away everything from the balcony, suddenly feeling extremely disheartened. The general moodiness that had been slowly overtaking him the last couple of weeks had definitely taken a turn for the worse. 

Letting his back slide down the wall separating him from Seungyoon he let out a big sigh as his butt hit the floor. 

"This is about as close as I can get" he said out loud as a muffled thud of a sound came from the other side of the wall. He liked to imagine that Seungyoon was doing the same thing on the other side of the wall, as if they were mirroring each other. Sitting back to back.

But it didn’t take long before he began to worry. What if Seungyoon had passed out on the other side? He’d really looked unwell. Something felt odd, he just got this bad feeling about that sound.

Seconds ticked away, he listened intently for any sound telling him Seungyoon was moving around in there, but there was nothing. Maybe his bed was on the other side, or his couch. Should he call for Seungyoon from his porch? Why was he so worried? The questions kept piling up and getting to his feet he walked over to the balcony again. The neighboring porch door was still open and so he figured calling out for Seungyoon couldn’t hurt. 

"Hello? Neighbor? Are you there?" he asked in as loud a voice as he dared without disturbing or alerting the other neighbors. 

No response. 

He told himself Seungyoon was probably just sleeping, but what if he wasn’t? Going back inside he felt his pulse quickening. He knocked on the wall for a response but got nothing in return. Then he stepped out into the hall and knocked the front door, nothing. 

A neighbor was walking towards him as he kept knocking. She asked if something was up and deciding someone else's opinion would be a good thing he told her what was going on. 

"The reception downstairs might have a key, depending on if he lets them lock deliveries in for him" she said thoughtfully. They walked downstairs together and approached the door man behind the desk about their request. 

He didn’t seem particularly keen, but confirmed he got a key. He’d refused to give him the key, which probably was the safe thing to do, but had agreed to come along and to check on Seungyoon for him because he could tell his worry was sincere. 

His other neighbor picked up her mail and tagged along back up as well. 

Hoping he wasn't overreacting he stood out in the hall waiting as the doorman slowly locked himself in calling out for Mr.Kang. 

It didn’t take long for the doorman to call for him, rushing inside he found just what he had feared, Seungyoon passed out on the floor against the wall. His breathing was quick and shallow, something the doorman had pointed out right away which had caused the man to step away. 

"Call an ambulance already!" he commanded, not giving a thought to any fear of catching the disease himself already kneeling beside Seungyoon on the floor. 

The female neighbor told him she had already called from the entry of the apartment. The doorman hurried down to open the door for the medical team as she spoke. 

Sitting there he was holding back tears of frustration feeling more helpless than he’d ever felt in his life. Seungyoon who had boldly said he needed no doctor because he was one, but what did that help when he’d pushed himself so hard he’d passed out from exhaustion, or worse from the disease itself. 

Mino could hear the sirens in the distance and the neighbor alerted him from the hallway she was still there waiting to show the medical team where to go. 

It had felt horrible seeing the medical team arrive in full protective gear, but a thousand times worse to see them take him away. He followed them down to the lobby and watched them load the unconscious body into the ambulance, but they wouldn’t let him tag along. He was told to put himself in quarantine until the tests had been done. 

"Quarantine.." he huffed slowly making his way back up to his apartment. The man from before hurried before him to lock up Seungyoon’s apartment. 

Once back inside his apartment he let himself slide down against the front door mirroring his actions from before. If someone had asked what he’d been feeling in that moment he would have said numb, but it was far from the truth. Mino’s chest was exploding with feelings. He was sad, worried, anxious, but most of all: 

In love. 

That was the most ridiculous part because he hardly knew Seungyoon, but this crush of his was so overwhelmingly intense it could only be described as love. 

Now his love was away at the hospital, unconscious, possibly infected by the raging pandemic. He’d be alright, right? 

Mino got to his feet and began pacing, he had to be alright because this was their beginning. 

By the time he’d calmed down enough to go to bed, it was almost morning and one could easily distinguish the circle on the floor where he’d been pacing for hours by the many overlapping footprints and the crumbs from some crackers he’d been stress eating.

Laying in bed he let out a loud sigh and closed his eyes. The image of the passed out Seungyoon still haunted him and he wondered if they’d tell him he was doing better if he called. Probably not with the whole patient privacy thing going on at hospitals, but still, he would try. 

He woke up several times within the four hour window he actually slept before getting up. Taking a quick shower he tried to think of what convincing arguments he could make when he called the hospital to make them tell him how things were going. 

Sipping on his coffee after getting dressed from his shower he decided he couldn’t wait any longer.

Calling the hospital he ran into a friendly sounding lady and deciding that a white lie would be fine, he told her he was Seungyoon’s close friend who had found him on the floor. She however told him she couldn’t disclose any information about Seungyoon other than that he was there and that he was conscious. She also told him not to come as visitors weren’t allowed because of the stricter rules set in place because of the pandemic. 

Relieved to hear that Seungyoon at least was conscious he thanked her and hung up. 

"He is conscious" he kept repeating to himself over and over. 

Every day he called the hospital and the receptionists he encountered told him the same thing. A week went by like that, he buried himself in work to make the time pass. He figured it was a good sign that he still was feeling perfectly healthy, maybe Seungyoon didn’t have it either? He really hoped that was the case, but why had he still not recovered? 

  
  


On his eight day of calling he received the good news he’d been hoping for. Seungyoon had been discharged. Mino was elated, yet worried because he knew hospitals were pushed for capacity and they might have released him too early to free up beds. 

He couldn’t help it, he had to see him for himself. Offer his help if he could. 

Within the same hour he had heard sounds coming from the neighboring apartment. It was a wonderful summer day and so he moved out on his balcony hoping to catch his neighbor expecting him to want to air out his place after being away for so long. 

It must have been at least an hour before the ruffled black head of his handsome neighbor poked out through the porch door. 

"Oh, hello" Seungyoon said, spotting him with his third cup of coffee practically shaking in anticipation and over-caffeination. "Thank you for the other day" he said in a voice so low he could barely hear it. He wanted to go over there, jump even, because the thin man he’d been crushing on looked so frail he feared the wind might be enough to break him in his current state. 

"Are you okay?" he asked, getting to his feet, grabbing the banister with both hands, leaning towards the neighboring porch as much as he dared without falling down. 

"I’m recovering, but don’t worry my test came back negative. It’s just severe fatigue from overworking for so long" Seungyoon explained, looking embarrassed more than anything else. 

Mino was relieved to hear this, but he kinda figured as much seeing as Seungyoon already was back home. 

"Would it be okay if I fetched us some dinner for tonight?" he asked, deciding he got nothing to lose. 

Seungyoon looked at him and smiled before nodding a surprisingly vigorous nod. He smiled too, relieved more than anything else, but also super happy. He was on his way inside to take a work call when he stopped in the doorway to ask what Seungyoon wanted, but he’d only said food and for him to not worry, he would pay. 

Snorting he decided that wasn’t necessary. Seungyoon was already repaying him in buckets in the currency of happiness. 

  
  


Wrecking his brain for what to get them he went through all the neighborhood options. Something healthy and nutritious would be ideal, but good too so that it would tempt a malnourished soul. Deciding something spicy yet safe would be nice he’d landed on curry as that was something he used to order for himself when he was sick. 

When his day of work was over he ordered the takeaway, changed clothes and even brushed his hair neatly. As soon as the food arrived, he went knocking on Seungyoon’s door who appeared looking just as frail and sickly as earlier in the day. 

"I hope you like curry," he said, holding up the bags. 

"I do," Seungyoon had replied leading the way into the apartment. Happily he followed after him. Finally they would spend some time together on the same porch and not separated.

Settling together on Seungyoon’s tiny porch they dug in and Mino was happy to see Seungyoon eating properly. For a while it was just silence, bird chirps and the occasional car driving by below them. It was Seungyoon who broke the silence first, asking how he’d known he needed help. 

"I heard this really odd thud right?" he began taking another bit of his food. "At first I didn’t trust my gut feeling, but as the silence went on for a while I just panicked knowing I had to check". He was feeling quite emotional just thinking about it. 

Seungyoon expressed his gratitude after his retelling and told him about his days in the hospital. How he must have passed out before even reaching the floor and how scary it was to think that he might have been laying there for a long time had he not heard him fall. 

Mino agreed that it was scary indeed. He felt ridiculous, but tears of relief had begun welling up in his eyes. 

"I’m sorry", he mumbled. "Can I hug you? I’m just so relieved that you are okay" he asked, not knowing what to do with himself as overwhelmingly strong emotions grasped him.

Seungyoon just smiled and put down his food, and he put down his as well. It was a second of awkwardness as he went in for the embrace and parts of his brain was screaming at him for being so weird, but it lasted only for a moment. Seungyoon was cold and slightly clammy, but he smelled nice and it was something so lovely about finally being close, to hold him and protect him from the world if only for a minute. 

They finished their food outside, but he’d been able to tell Seungyoon wasn’t feeling too well and so he made sure he went inside to lay down. Fighting the urge to support him over to the sofa he gathered up the trash from the takeaway and put it in a bag by the door to bring with him. 

"Do you want to watch something?" Seungyoon asked, holding out the remote control towards him before he could really answer "I’m not feeling too good, but I’m a bit anxious about being alone.." Seungyoon began explaining and he didn’t have to say another word. 

Mino sat down on the opposite side of the sofa Seungyoon was resting on and began looking through the smart tv apps for something to look at. He ended up at some documentary on graphic design his co-workers had been chatting about in their group chat for a project they’d been working on. 

It didn’t take long before he noticed Seungyoon was shivering and so he got up to close the porch door and looked around for a blanket. He found one in a basket by the couch and brought it over. 

Seungyoon had sat up noticing him looking around, but after he’d placed the blanket over his shoulders he had just sat there for a moment swaying, probably trying to make sense of the tv show although being very tired. 

"You can rest on me if you’re still feeling cold" he suggested, feeling a bit cheeky although his intentions were kind. 

"Thanks" Seungyoon murmured and flopped down in the opposite direction so that his head was now resting on Mino’s lap. 

A few minutes later and they were both fast asleep. This would only be the first of many nights they would fall asleep together, snoring loudly, feeling the comfort of the other’s closeness even in their subconsciousness. 

Finally they weren’t alone anymore and could watch out for the other, whatever the coming decades would throw at them, they now got each other and they would face it together.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Tiny disclaimer at the end: I didn’t intend to glamorize overworking or the pandemic itself with this story in any way. I chose this prompt because it allowed me to create a story where someone cared for each other and managed to connect despite the difficulty of dealing with the pandemic and the limitation it put on human interactions. I hope you enjoyed it and that it made you smile. 
> 
> Thank you for reading! I'm sorry if the editing is a bit odd, I usually only post to AFF.


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